Colin Kaepernick Poised to Flourish in 2015

Here’s a good look at the new coaching and management regime in San Francisco and their views of their starting quarterback Colin Kaepernick. Kaepernicks decision to head south to Arizona and train in the off season with Super Bowl quarterback Kurt Warner looks to be a great move to improve his mechanics and decision making skills. The article below was originally written by Taylor Price and published on 49ers.com

Colin Kaepernick’s name came up more than any other San Francisco 49ers player on Thursday.

That’s probably deservedly so on the same day your franchise announces a new head football coach.

Jim Tomsula and general manager Trent Baalke were both asked about the team’s future plans for its starting quarter of the past two seasons.

Both team leaders spoke highly of Kaepernick, expressing a desire to further develop his all-around talents.

When asked about Kaepernick in his hour-long introductory press conference, Tomsula said it’s important that the 49ers utilize the young passer’s dual-threat ability.

“I think he can run,” Tomsula said. “I think he can throw. I think he can change the pace of the game, change the speed of the game.”

Kaepernick posted career-highs in passing yards (3,369) and rushing (639) this past season, but he did so on an 8-8 team.

Tomsula has taken great awareness on Kaepernick’s long-legged running ability.

In Tomsula’s vision, San Francisco’s new coaching staff will “corral it and accentuate those things as we continue to strengthen other areas.”

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Rare Photos of Colin Kaepernick from 2014

Baalke, too, was asked to comment on Kaepernick’s future as he prepares for his fifth NFL season.

“Every player at some point in their career goes through this type of transition, and it’s going to be no different for Colin,” Baalke said. “But we’re confident we can go out and hire a very competent staff on the offensive side to not only schematically put him in the best possible position for success but also individually develop him through the fundamentals.”

There’s no official word on when the team will hire its next offensive coordinator. Tomsula told reporters that there’s a delicate balancing act between finding the right coach and sifting through available coaches.

That being said, Tomsula and Baalke recognize the importance of the offensive coordinator hire and its future impact on Kaepernick.

“He’s still a young player,” Baalke added. “There’s still a lot of growth that he’s going to endure over his career.”

When asked point-blank if Kaepernick would be the starter in ’15, the team’s general manager didn’t blink.

“Obviously Colin’s our starting quarterback,” Baalke said. “And I’m not going to get into specifics of every position. Colin Kaepernick’s the starting quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers.”

Tomsula later said that he was pleased to have learned of Kaepernick’s decision to train in Arizona with NFL stars under the guidance of Super Bowl-winning quarterback Kurt Warner.